A Benevolence of Ravens
by Treehilldreams
Summary: SEQUEL to an Unkindness of Ravens! She was brilliant and I loved her, but she also left for the entire Summer, and I can't do a thing about it. The girl that used to live behind the red door is the one I miss the very most.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is the promised sequel to _An Unkindness of Ravens. _Huge apology for the amount of time it took for me to get this sequel out...but I hope that you will still enjoy it. This is a 2-parter, originally I had it as a one-shot but it was far too long. I decided to separate it into 2 chapters. I might wait a day or to update on the 2nd installment...but if I get positive feedback quicker than expected then I will surely update immediately.**

**Very special thanks to JeytonBrucasNaley for her helping me write this! I was going to send you the entire finished piece, but I didn't want you to know the end until I posted it! Thanks again, couldn't have done it without you!**

** Warning: I'd advice you to read the one-shot that is the sequel to this- An Unkindess of Ravens. It might be hard to understand this sequel if you haven't read the previous one-shot, but it shouldn't be too hard to follow.**

**_Flashbacks and quotes are in italics._**

**Disclaimer: I don't own oth.**

**A Benevolence of Ravens**

**-Sequel to An Unkindness of Ravens-**

_"Some people believe that ravens guide travelers to their destinations. Others believe that the sight of a solitary raven is considered good luck. But a group of ravens predicts trouble ahead."_

Life is full of suprises. Some are good, like when we find love after a terrible heartbreak. Our dreams are suddenly fulfilled, and the past doesn't seem to matter anymore because what we have in the present is overwhelmingly spectacular. But then again, other suprises are cruelly unexpected. There are those that are so shocking that they leave us filled with sadness, regret, and despair. These rude awakenings are called An Unkindness of Ravens.

When faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back. But once in awhile, people push on to something better. _Something found just beyond the quiet persistance of a dream. _For it is only when we are tested that we truly discover who we are and who we can be. This discovery- when we conquer our deepest fears, regrets, and heartaches...it is _not_ called an unkindness of ravens. Unkindness and unfortunate situations in life are inevitable; good things to follow are always promised. And this happy time, when we surge on to something better, something profound and beautiful...it is called _A Benevolence of Ravens._

* * *

He stood before the large brick house, attempting to develop the courage to walk inside and tell his girlfriend what had occurred that night. He knew that it had to be done. Peyton was leaving to go to LA with Brooke tommorow, and he couldn't let her go without telling her what had happened with her best friend.

Brooke Davis had walked away from him that night. He had pronounced his love for her, and she had rejected him.

_In a flash, he made his way toward her and crashed his lips upon her own. Once again, they met in a passionate kiss, and feelings long suppressed were set free as they lost themselves in each other. Just as he was about to deepen the kiss, she pushed him away, anger evident in her eyes._

_"This can't happen, Lucas. Not now, not ever. You didn't choose me. You chose __**her**__."_

_"Then I guess I chose wrong," he replied._

_Her lips trembled at his words, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She couldn't be put through this again, she wouldn't be put through this again._

_"Please don't say that, Lucas."_

_"You told me you were always going to love me, Brooke. Truth is, I'm always going to love you too," he said._

_She took a deep breath, and mustered every ounce of the powerful and courageous woman she was. She couldn't fall back into his arms again, back into a relationship of three people. Peyton was always going to be involved, and nothing was ever going to change that._

_"But love isn't going to be enough for us, Luke," she said, her voice breaking as she spoke. "It can't be."_

He had spent the last 2 years of his life trying to escape the pain of the endless "love triangle." It was a merry-go-round of feelings. He went from Brooke, to Peyton, then back again. He assumed that it was all over, that his relationship with Peyton during senior year was unbreakable. Yet it took one kiss with a beautiful brunette to put an end to his assumption.

He gazed up at the huge brick house, and took a deep breath. Quietly, he pushed open her front door- he couldn't ring the door-bell so late at night. The house was dark and filled with shadows, and he faintly remembered the many times that he had entered her house during their relationship. Peyton and Lucas were good together, they were two of a kind. But she was leaving for the entire Summer, and for the life of him, Lucas Scott couldn't figure out why he wasn't asking her to stay. Until he had kissed her best friend, and his answer was suddenly thrust upon him. He entered her room, and found Peyton sitting on her bed, focusing on a picture that she was drawing. He cleared his throat to let her know that he was there, and her face immediately shot up. She smiled when she saw him, unaware of what he was preparing to tell her. She jumped off the bed to kiss him, but just before her lips touched his own, he turned away from her.

"Luke? What's wrong?" she asked, a sound of alarm in her voice.

He couldn't face her, so instead he moved to the other side of the room to look at some pictures she had placed on the wall. He felt her eyes following his every move, and with his back turned to her, he said, "Peyton...something happened tonight."

She made her way to his side and turned his face to look at him. Her hands found their way to the back of his neck, and he finally found the courage to meet her eyes. His normal piercing blue's were filled with utter sadness- a quiet warning that he had done something that was going to jeopardize their relationship.

And that's when she knew.

She pulled away from him instantly, as if his skin had burned her own. Her eyes danced with anger and hurt, and she asked, "It's her, isn't it?"

He said nothing, but then again he didn't need to. The evidence was already there, and his clarification of his own infidelity wasn't needed. That look was in his eye- the one that could only be caused by one girl, and that girl was certainly not Peyton Sawyer. And he smelled like her perfume...the strong scent of Brooke Davis.

"How could you, Lucas?" she prodded, the threat of tears swelling in her eyes.

"I didn't want this to happen, Peyton."

"What happened? You can at least tell me that, since you're suddenly at a great loss of words."

He ran his hands through his long blonde hair and replied, "It was at the party tonight. I kissed Brooke...and I told her that I loved her."

His words were like bullets. She felt a strong pressure in her chest, as if she couldn't breathe. She quickly sat in her computer chair, afraid that if she continued to stand she might just fall. But then again, he had already pushed her down.

"You...you love her?" her timid voice asked.

He nodded, and said, "Please try to understand. You of all people should know that you can't help who you love."

Peyton furiously wiped her tears away as anger flashed in her eyes. She had said that to Brooke months ago, and in turn destroyed the relationship that Brooke and Lucas had. Ironically, those words had come back to destroy her own relationship with Lucas.

"Don't use my own words against me, Lucas."

Lucas only nodded in understanding. He was thankful that it wasn't Brooke that stood before him right now. Although that was a terrible thought, he knew that it was an even harder ordeal to tell Brooke Davis that he loved her best friend. After all, he had done it before, and Brooke's wrath was much more terrifying than Peyton's ever would be.

"And what about _her_," she asked venomously, "did she just fall right back into your arms again?"

He knew that this was a tough situation, that Peyton was allowed to be mad. But if Brooke Davis was anything at all, it would have to be loyal.

Intent to defend Brooke, Lucas said, "Actually, she said that she would never do to you what you did to her."

His words stung her, but she knew that they were true. Peyton had been in this exact situation only 2 years ago, except this time she wasn't the one sneaking behind her best friend's back.

"Look, Peyton...you need to understand that this was my doing, not Brooke's. If you're going to lay the blame on anyone, do it on me, not on her. She was loyal to you, she refused me."

Peyton said nothing in return, she only stared him down with an icy glare. "You know that I love you, Peyton, but-"

"You're _in_ love with her," she finished for him.

He nodded his head, thankful that she somehow understood what he had done, seeing that she had previously done the same thing herself.

"Please leave, Lucas," she said, and with that she turned her back on him.

He did as she asked, and made his way to her door so he could leave. But before he left, he said, "Please don't be mad, Peyton."

_She stood before him, an array of tears and hopelessness as she fought tirelessly with the boy she loved._

_"Okay why didn't you tell me about the kiss! And why didn't you call me while you were away," she screamed, pounding her hands on his chest to emphasize her point."And why won't you ever just let me all the way in?"_

_He was crestfallen at the sight of her. She was hysterical and afraid, and he didn't know what to say or what to do to make it better. He felt the hot sting of the tears that were forming in his eyes as he shook his head, unable to answer the sobbing girl before him._

_"We have to go and give our toasts now- about love," she said, her voice hoarse from her hysterics._

_Her words sliced through him, their true meaning burning a hole in his heart. He knew what she meant...they had to go and speak about love, when their own was slowly but surely falling apart._

_She swiftly turned away from him, but was stopped when he said, "Please don't be mad, Brooke."_

_"I'm not mad, Lucas," she whispered, "I'm not mad."_

He had said the same words to Brooke only a few months ago, in the futile attempt to make up for the fact that Peyton had kissed him. And here he was, telling Peyton not to be mad because he had kissed Brooke. Ironically, she delivered the same answer that Brooke had.

"I'm not mad, Lucas. I'm not mad."

She was crushed.

2 weeks later

Heartache is a terrible thing. Most of us try to ride it out, with the hope that it will go away and never resurface again. There are no solutions for a broken heart; no mathematical or surgical procedure can seal the wounds of a lost love. It was Summertime, and Lucas Scott understood the pain of a lost love all too well. He hadn't lost one, but two girls he had loved before the Summer even begun. It was a strange sensation for him: there had always been two constants in Lucas' life, two girls that he could always turn to. There was Peyton Sawyer, the tortured artist that understood him all too well. She was mysterious and subdued, intricate and pretty...she was his perfect match. But then there was Brooke Davis, the _force_ to be reckoned with. She was fiercely independent; brilliant, and beautiful, and brave. She was his exact opposite. Lucas was serious and cautious; Brooke was spontaneous and carefree. And as the saying goes..._opposites always attract. _Yet within the course of a single night, Lucas Scott had managed to lose them both.

On the corner of Summit Avenue, in Tree Hill, North Carolina, sat a huge white house with a bold red door. The house was clearly built for the rich and priveledged. Brilliant green grass swept across the vast expanse of the lawn, which was decorated with well-kept gardens. Red flowers could be seen on the edges of the walk, perfectly copying the solid red color of the front door. A single car was parked on the street directly in front of the house, and Lucas Scott sat inside.

He gazed up at the sight of the former Davis home, his thoughts winding their way through his mind as he studied the place where the woman he loved used to live. He sat in the driver's seat of his own car, with a notebook perched on the passenger's seat. Lucas Scott had only graduated from high school a few weeks ago, but he was already setting off to become a writer. He never left the house without a notebook, just in case he needed to write down some brilliant idea or thought. And as he sat in front of Brooke Davis' old house, a million thoughts ran through his head that needed to be written down. He took a deep breath and grabbed the notebook that sat beside him. He retrieved a pen from his pocket, opened the notebook to a blank white page, and allowed his thoughts to make their way onto paper:

_**She had no one, but that never seemed to matter. There were no traces of her family...just a house with a bold red door. Inside the house there lived a girl, one that never seemed to believe in her own worth. She was beautiful, but she barely knew just how much. She was smart, but she didn't believe it. Her independence and fierce nature made up for her lack of a family. She was brilliant and I loved her, but she also left for the entire Summer, and I can't do a thing about it. The girl that used to live behind the red door is the one I miss the very most.**_

He abruptly stopped writing, and folded the notebook closed. He knew that this was wrong, he couldn't keep doing this for the entire Summer. Ever since the night of the graduation party, Lucas Scott had been a complete mess. He spent his time thinking about the girls he lost, and the mistakes he had made. He hadn't talked to Peyton since he walked away from her the night that they broke up. He didn't know if she went away with Brooke or not, for all he knew she was still in Tree Hill sulking like he was. He hadn't heard a thing from Brooke since the night he told her he loved her. According to Haley and Nathan, she had boarded a plane to go to California just like she planned to. He didn't dare ask if Peyton had accompanied her; he was far too guilty to bring her up in a conversation.

The minutes turned into hours, the hours into days, and the days into weeks. And for 2 weeks, Lucas Scott had sat outside of Brooke Davis' old home every single day. He didn't know how long he stayed for each time. Sometimes it would be for hours, other times it would only be for a few minutes. He was heartbroken, and this was the only way he knew how to ease his pain.

He opened his notebook once again, and read the last sentence that he wrote: "The girl that used to live behind the red door is the one I miss the very most."

He closed his eyes, and allowed a faraway memory to resurface.

_"So what are you gonna miss most about me?" she teasingly questioned._

_Brooke was due to leave for California sometime within the next week, just before the school year was about to end. She would be gone for the entire Summer, and she was clearly reluctant to leave. _

_"I can only choose one thing?" he asked._

_"Yes! And it has to be something good, not how much you'll miss hanging out with me or how hot I am."_

_Lucas tapped his fingers on his chin, pretending to be deep in thought. "Hmm," he murmured, "Neither one of those?"_

_A brilliantly wide smile shown across her face as she replied, "No!"_

_"Damn," he said, with a snap of his fingers._

_Then, suddenly, the playfulness vanished from his deep blue eyes, and was replaced by a serious and passionate gaze. _

_"I'd miss the girl behind the red door," he said, and he made a gesture toward his own door. She gave him a strange and confused look, as she took in the sight of the red door that he was pointing to._

_"Come on," he said. He opened the door to his room, and she stepped inside, gaping at the sight before her. All of her things were surrounding her: pictures, luggage, posters, and most importantly the white doll-house that was the perfect replica of her old home. Her face was in apparent shock as she said, "This is all my stuff. I don't understand."_

_"I had my mom talk to your parents, and they said that you could stay hear till the Summer. They didn't want to, Brooke...but my mom can be really convincing," he answered._

_Her eyes began to glisten with tears and she asked, "You did this for me?"_

_"I wasn't ready to lose you yet."_

He opened his eyes, and all images of the two of them together completely vanished. Once again, they became just a memory. He looked at the words that he had previously written about Brooke Davis, and his eyes focused on a particular sentence.

"_**She was brilliant and I loved her, but she also left for the entire Summer, and I can't do anything about it."**_

Two years ago she was planning on leaving to go to California, and he had stalled her departure by offering her his own home to stay in. But in the end, he had let her escape for the entire Summer. "I _can_ do something about it," he said to himself. He swiftly pushed his keys into the ignition and drove off, leaving Brooke's old house far behind him. Within minutes, he had reached his own home. He quickly went inside, opened his laptop, and bought a single airline ticket to California for the next morning.

Last time, he had lost her for the Summer. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice.

**To Be Continued...**

**Remember, this is a 2-parter story, so I'll be updating soon... be sure to review!**


	2. The Redemption

So this is the second and** final** part to my 2-parter sequrl to _An Unkindness of Ravens._ Thank you for your reviews, and I hope that you enjoy this!

**Special **thanks to JeytonBrucasNaley for her help with this!

Disclaimer: I don't own OTH

_Flashbacks and quotes are in italics._

* * *

_A Benevolence of Ravens_

_Part 2_

_-Sequel to An Unkindess of Ravens-_

"Hey, kid, what did you say the address was again?" the taxi driver asked over his shoulder.

"Just a sec'," Lucas replied, as he reached into his pocket to retrieve a small piece of paper that had Brooke's address written on it. Haley was the one who told Lucas exactly where Brooke lived. Haley and Nathan were the only one's who knew where Lucas was- he had told his mother that he was going to visit his cousins in Charlotte. He would've told Peyton, but he didn't know if she was still in Tree Hill or not, which proposed an even more disastrous question: What if she was with Brooke?

"31470 Broad Beach Rd. is the address," Lucas said as he read it off from the sheet of paper Haley had given him.

"Here to visit anyone special, kid? This strip over here is chuck full of celebrities...anyone famous?" the taxi driver questioned.

"No one famous," Lucas answered, "But she's someone special."

The rest of the ride was silent, until they finally reached their destination, and the cab pulled up in front of a beautifully built house that peered over the ocean.

"Here we are, 31470 Broad Beach Rd," the driver announced.

Lucas handed the driver his fair, and opened the car door and stepped out into the setting Malibu sun. He had left Tree Hill at 6:00 that morning, and because of the time change it was around 8:00 in Malibu. He retrieved his luggage from the trunk, and as the taxi pulled away, he was left alone to stand in front of the luxurious house. It wasn't the largest house on the street, nor was it the flashiest, but it was certainly a magnificent sight. There were large terraces outside of almost every window. The landscaping was done to utter perfection, and small fountains were scatterred across the front walk. He could hear the sound of the lapsing waves coming from behind the house, which meant that it was directly located on the beach.

_So this is Brooke Davis' world, _Lucas thought to himself. He braced himself, gathered the little that he had packed the night before, and began to walk up the stone driveway. He walked past the 3-car garage, and onto another stone walk that led up to the wrap-around veranda. Finally, he stood before the front door. His palms became sweaty, and his entire body began to shake. _What am I doing? Why didn't I call her to tell her I was coming, _his mind screamed, as he willed himself to reach out and ring the door-bell.

The sound of a car door slamming interrupted Lucas' thoughts, and he jumped at the loud noise. He turned around to see a distinguished man in a business suit walking away from a small and sporty BMW parked in the driveway. He was shouting instructions to someone on a cell-phone, his voice booming with authority and supremity. Lucas had only seen Brooke's parents once in Tree Hill. Brooke had pointed them out from a distance at a business party of her father's that she had dragged Lucas to, but he had never been properly introduced. But by the looks of it, the man approaching Lucas was Mr. Davis himself.

Lucas held out his hand to greet Brooke's father, but the man walked directly past him and up to his front door, still shouting at someone on his phone while he fumbled with his keys. Lucas still stood with his arm out, shocked that the man had walked by him without even noticing that he was there. Right before he entered his house, the man turned back to Lucas and shouted, "The pools in the back, son!" With that, he slammed the door behind him.

Clearly dumbfounded, Lucas walked up to the front door once again, and this time he rang the door-bell. Seconds later, the same man opened the door. He was no longer talking on his cell-phone, and for a moment Lucas was able to get a good look at him. He was neat looking and distinguished, and he held his head with a certain sense of power. His hair was a dark brown; his eyes were a piercing green.

"I thought I already told you that the pool was in the back?" he asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.

"Sir, my name is Lucas Scott. I'm here to see your daughter," Lucas said, his voice a mere squeak to Mr. Davis' loud and powerful tone.

A look of confusion swept across Mr. Davis' face as he said, "My daughter? Aren't you the pool boy? What business do you have with my daughter?"

"I'm...um...an old friend, sir."

"What did you say your name was again? Scott...Dan's son?" he asked.

Lucas nodded his head, and once again stuck his hand out as a greeting. This time, the man opposite him met Lucas with his own hand.

"Richard Davis," he introduced himself, as he firmly grasped Lucas' hand. "Sorry, I had you mistaken for the young man that cleans our pool," Richard said.

Lucas nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot. Something about being in the presence of Brooke's father made Lucas uneasy, especially since the man wasn't the most welcoming person in the world.

"I'm sorry for suprising you like this," Lucas said.

Mr. Davis only shrugged his shoulders and replied, "I suppose you can go see Brooke, she's probably out back on the beach."

"Okay, thank-" but the loud ring of Mr. Davis' cell-phone cut Lucas off. He murmured something about having to take the call, and once again he slammed the door in Lucas' face.

It wasn't the welcome that Lucas had expected, but at least he hadn't been told to leave. But then again, he still hadn't encountered Brooke, who might not even want to speak to him. Lucas picked up his luggage once again- a small backpack and rolling briefcase, and began to walk through the grounds of the house to the beach. His muscles slowly began to tire, the jet lag finally getting to him. A few minutes later, he found himself standing in the back of Brooke's home, on the path that led to the beach. If it was even possible, his body began to shake even more than it had when he was speaking to Mr. Davis. _This is it, this is what you came here to do, _he urged himself, mustering every sense of courage he had to go and see the girl he loved. Ever so slowly, he made his way down the path, until he found himself standing on the edge of the beach. The sun was sinking into the ocean, sending it's brilliant rays through the water and onto the shore-line. And there, right by the edge of the water, sat a lone girl. The setting rays of the sun cascaded around her, as she aimlessly ran her hands through the sand. Her brunette locks swayed with the gentle ocean breeze, and her sun-tanned body appeared to be comfortable in her peaceful surroundings.

He could have very easily turned around and went back at that point. He could have boarded another plane and gone back to Tree Hill. He could have just stayed right there at the edge of the sand, maintaining a safe distance from the girl who sat by the shore. But Lucas Scott did none of those things. Instead, he dropped his few belongings, and with deliberate steps he found himself walking toward the shore.

By now, he was so close to her that he could smell her fresh scent mixing with the salty ocean breeze. He fought to remain where he was, because every sense in his body told him to take her in his arms. Her shorts revealed lean and toned legs, and her tight black tank top showed off her sun-tanned arms. She hadn't heard him approach her; she had no idea that he was standing a few feet away from her.

"Brooke," he whispered. The sound of her name escaping from his lips felt like a redemption; he hadn't spoken to her in what seemed like ages.

She hadn't turned to look at him, nor had she returned his awkward greeting. She knew who it was standing behind her. That broody and serious tone could only belong to one person- Lucas Scott. Her shoulders had immediately tensed at the sound of his voice, and her hand stopped pushing it's way through the sand. It was as if the atmosphere had shifted, and a gentle lull in the universe emerged as they were forced to face each other.

Silence followed for what seemed like hours. She refused to look at him, and he didn't make a move to go closer to her.

"You really like suprising people on beaches, don't you?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.

He smiled at her comment, happy that she hadn't greeted him with anger. He pondered what she meant by this, and briefly remembered the time two years ago when he suprised Peyton and Brooke on the beach in Tree Hill after he came back from his short stay in Charlotte. She was right, it wasn't the first time that he had done something like this. It was next to impossible to face both Peyton and Brooke that night on the beach, seeing that he had previously betrayed them. He had a feeling that this encounter with Brooke would be even harder.

"I guess beaches are just my specialty," he replied.

Just as he said this, he realized how true this statement was. His friendship with Brooke, after he betrayed her in junior year, was renewed on the beach after a high school dance.

_"Why does everybody lie? You know, the bad guys lie to get in your bed. And the good guys lie to get in your heart," she said, looking at him pointedly, "and I'm the idiot that falls for it every time."_

_"Hey...Brooke you are not an idiot, not even close," he said softly, "you know who you are. Most people don't, you know. I mean...that's why they lie. They're afraid people might find out who they are before they figure it out themselves."_

He shared his first kiss with Brooke at the beginning of their relationship in senior year on a beach.

_"So...when are we gonna get to that kissing part?" he asked from his position next to her on the blanket._

_"Oh, I'd say right about now if you know what's good for you," she replied. _

He told Brooke he was the guy for her on the beach.

_"I'm the guy for you. I know we're just part-time, that's cool. You know, do whatever, have your fun," he said, pausing for a moment to smile, "but one of these nights you're going to realize it. I'm the guy for you, Brooke Davis...you'll see."_

Beaches truly were his specialty.

"What are you doing here, Luke?" she asked, "you're a long way from Tree Hill."

He finally made the move to sit down next to her, but he didn't dare look at her. He copied what she was doing, and instead focused his eyes on the lapsing ocean before them.

"I had to see you," he replied.

She appeared to be completely interested in the sand, as she started shifting it through her fingers once again, finding any excuse not to look at him. She nodded her head, urging him to continue his explanation.

"Brooke...I came here because I wasn't going to let myself lose you again, I refuse to do that."

She laughed, a slight hint of sarcasm added to her voice as she said, "And you think that coming all the way to California is going to help you gain me back?"

Lucas stood up, dusting the sand off his body as he did so. He held out his hand to her and said, "Walk with me."

She looked at his outstretched hand, debating on whether or not she should accept it. She gave him her hand, and he pulled her up to a standing position. And for the first time in a long time, the two stood face to face. Brooke looked suprised at first, as if she couldn't figure out if this was a dream, if it was really Lucas Scott standing opposite her.

Her dark green eyes danced with the light of the ever-fading sun, and she fearlessly gazed into his own eyes. He felt powerless under her intrusive focus, and he knew that she was daring him to kiss her, to make any sort of move just so she could push him away again. He felt her steady breath on his neck, as the sea-breeze playfully pushed her hair across her face. He fought the burning urge to tuck a stray brunette lock behind her ear, and instead turned to walk down the beach, her hand still in his.

They walked for a few minutes, leaving a trail of footprints in the sand along the beach.

"Is Peyton here?" he asked, no longer able to contain his curiosity.

She shook her head and broke away from him, and began to walk in the shallow ocean tides. "She didn't come with me," she replied.

Brooke turned her back on him to lift a smooth pebble from the sand, and then tossed it into the awaiting ocean.

"But don't worry," she said over her shoulder, "You can swallow your guilt. I'm sure you contributed to her avoidance of me, but a better job offer in New York kept her from coming with me to California."

"I'm sorry, Brooke. I didn't mean to mess up your friendship with her," he said. She walked ahead of him, picking up random sea-shells as she went, tossing them back into the ocean. He quickened his pace to catch up with her, but it seemed that she didn't want to be anywhere near him.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before telling her that you loved me," she shot back, her icy tone displaying her anger and hurt over the situation.

"_You_ kissed me first, in case you've forgotten," he replied calmly, a contrast to her furious tone. She turned on her heel to face him once again, her eyes blazing with accusation.

"You can't show up here, with no warning might I add, and blame me for all of this! Is that what you came here to do, Lucas? Because if it is, then you can leave now."

He walked slowly toward her, reaching a hand out to soothingly rub her shoulder. "None of this is your fault, Brooke."

She shook her head and turned away from him as she whispered, "Please don't touch me."

His shoulders sunk in defeat, and once again he was at a loss for words. He didn't know what to tell her or what to do to win her back. There had to be something, something that no one else in the history of the world had ever said to someone they loved. But as the great author that Lucas Scott hoped to be one day, he couldn't think of a single profound thing to say.

With sadness etched upon his face, he was the one to turn away this time. He began the long walk up the beach and back to her house, because it was the only thing he could think of to do.

"Lucas! Where are you going?" she shouted.

He ignored her, and continued to walk away from her. Seconds later, he felt a sharp hit to the back of his head, and he turned around to see Brooke standing inches away from him, her face flushed with anger and fury. He held the back of his head with his hand, as the sharp pain from the blow slowly subsided. He looked down at the sand, and saw a single white seashell lying before him. He picked it up, and tossed it between his hands, as a playful smile formed on his face.

"Did you just throw a seashell at me?" he asked, kinking his eyebrow as he spoke.

She shrugged her shoulders and laughed, a bright sparkle returning to her eyes.

"I didn't know what else to do to make you stop walking away from me!"

"Well, I do believe that throwing something at someone's head is considered physical assault. But I'll let it slide this time," he replied.

She held out her hands expectantly, as if she were waiting for him to give her something.

"It's a pretty shell, you know. It'd totally go to waste if I only used it to throw at your head. I want it back," she said, her dimples flashing with her smile.

He fiddled with the brilliantly sculpted shell in his hands, and held it out to give it back to her. But just before it fell into her awaiting hands, he pulled it from her grasp and slipped it into his pocket.

"I think I'll keep it," he said.

"Fine, suit yourself," she replied, "I'll get it back one day. It's getting late, we should go in. I'll have the maid set you up in one of the room's upstairs so you can sleep, you're probably exhausted from the flight."

"Are you sure? I could just stay in a hotel."

"No worries...I have to make use of the 8 guest bedrooms in that house sooner or later."

With that, Brooke hurried up the beach and onto the path that led back to her home. Lucas was left to follow behind her, pondering their awkward meeting. In his mind, he had planned what he would say to an utter perfection. But when it came down to it, everything went blank.

* * *

An hour later, Lucas sat alone on a terrace overlooking the stunning view of the ocean. He had been given a guest suite, equipped with it's very own bathroom and miniature kitchen. Brooke had shown him his room, and once he was settled she left him there, mentioning that her parents would be at a party all night and she would be in her bedroom if he needed anything. 

For a few moments, Lucas' world existed of nothing but the sprawling ocean before him and the sweeping seabreeze. Everything else had vanished, if only for a moment, and he had forgotten where he was and what he had come to do.

_I can't believe this_, he thought to himself, _I fly all the way out here to see her and she leaves me sitting here alone._

The disastrous path his life had taken in the past two years could be blamed on many things- namely basketball. If he hadn't left the Rivercourt, his world would never have turned upside down. But he had left the familiar court he grew up on, and since then nothing had remained the same.

He gazed up at the shining stars, and as he stood there in the silent night, a quote he had once heard resurfaced in his mind.

_"When you find yourself lost in sadness and despair, remember that it is only in the black of night that you can see the stars. And these stars lead you back home."_

The quote created a sense of hope for Lucas, and minutes later he was roaming around Brooke's home, searching for her room. After a short search, he stood before a door adorned with a pink sign that read, "Brooke." He knocked on her door without a moments hesitation- his previous fearful antics had vanished.

The door with the pink sign swung open seconds later, but before Brooke could even get a chance to say something, Lucas launched himself into speech.

"I need to know that all of this wasn't for a lost cause. I need to know if there's still something there for you, Brooke," he said.

She instantly shook her head, a broken and torn look upon her face. "Lucas, I-"

But he cut her off and continued, "I came here to tell you that I love you, but it seems like you don't want to have a thing to do with me."

Her shoulders sunk a little, and her eyes began to swim with tears. She walked back into her room, and without even being asked to come in, Lucas followed her. She sat on her bed, and patted the spot next to her. He plopped down beside her, and she turned to look at him.

In a voice barely above a whisper, she said, "It took everything I had to turn away from you that night, Luke. The night you kissed me. But this time...I can't avoid it, I don't think I'll be able to."

"But that's just it, Brooke! You're always turning away, always separating yourself from me!" he countered, his voice much louder and more forceful to hers.

She leapt off the bed and began to pace back and fourth, and Lucas only watched her. She went from one end of her room to the other, then back again. Finally, she whirled around and stood before him.

"You know, it's funny that you say that. I'm always turning away from _you_? Really...thats interesting, because the way I see it is that you're the one whose always turning away from _me!"_

She paused momentarily to stare him straight in the eyes, and in that instant he knew that he was about to lose this argument. "How many times did you turn away from me to go to Peyton? Answer me that question, Lucas. I lost count a long, long time ago."

He answered her with silence, and a brief shrug of his shoulders. He knew that in times of desperation, he had gone to help Peyton. But he failed to recognize that he did it so often.

"The first day we got back together, Luke! The very first day, you answered your phone and Peyton said she needed you, and without even a second thought you ran out that door and left me!"

Her tears were flowing freely down her cheeks now, and without interrupting her, he let her continue the speech that was breaking him down, piece by piece.

"What about the school shooting, Luke? You found me running out of the school, and the second you saw that Peyton wasn't with me you turned and ran to find her! You left your girlfriend hysterically crying in the parking lot!"

"Brooke, I'm sorry..." he offered, hoping to stall her accusations.

But she ignored him, and her pacing only became faster, her voice getting louder with every word. "And what about the state championship!" she screamed. Suddenly, she rushed toward him and began to pound his chest with her hands, and every punch seemed to emphasize her anger and despair. "The person that was standing next to you when all your dreams came true! Who was that person, Luke?" she fiercely questioned.

"It was you," he replied, as he grabbed her hands in his own to prevent her from hitting him.

She was taken aback by his answer, but it took her only seconds to regain her anger. "No, it was Peyton! I asked you who you wanted standing next to you, right after you guys won, and you looked at _her! _You turned your back on me and went to her!"

"Only because you told me to!" Lucas screamed back in desperation, "You smiled and pushed me right back into her arms again!"

This time, she didn't reply with an angry comeback, but instead she became silent. Furious green eyes met the pleading blue ones, and they stared at one another for what seemed like hours. Neither was going to back down, they were both fighting- but for what purpose they did not know.

She was broken down, torn apart by the boy who claimed to love her. Her confidence and flare, though still a large part of her, had lessoned in the previous years. She was holding herself together, but it was certain that she would not be able to for much longer. It seemed that the boy who broke her heart was the only person who could put it back together.

He was filled with regret and heartache over decisions that he made and failed to make. He was filled with unkindness, and a desperation to turn his bad karma into something better controlled his actions and thoughts. He searched for benevolence, for the happiness that would only come with love.

She furiously released their adjoined hands and backed away from him. But with 3 long strides he was so close to her that he could see the golden specks flicker within her green eyes. "I love you, Brooke. I don't know how else to say it."

And suddenly, they were standing in the back reception room of Nathan and Haley's wedding, reinacting a conversation that they had months ago.

_"How about by the way you show it! I am not pushing you away Lucas, I am holding on for dear life but I need you to need me back!"_

Her words flooded back into his mind, and as he gazed into her eyes he knew that she just relived the same memory he had.

"At the wedding, you told me to show you how I loved you, to show you that I needed you just as much as you needed me. Well here I am, Brooke," he said, gesturing around at his surroundings, "I'm standing in your bedroom in California, telling you that I love you! I came all the way here because my _need_ to be with you was so overwhelming that I couldn't bare it!"

She took a few steps away from him- being that close to him for too long would surely cause her to cave in to his affections.

"But how do you know," she asked, "how do you know that you love me, this time around? You were so sure...in that rainstorm months ago, you told me that you loved me, and not Peyton. But then the two of you got together, and you proved yourself wrong! So tell me, Lucas, how do you know that you love me this time?"

Once again, he closed the gap between them and stood inches away from her face. His rough fingers traced the smooth outline of her cheek, and she shivered against his gentle touch.

"If you and I aren't meant to be together," he said slowly, "then I don't know _anything_ at all. So that's your answer. We're meant to be together, Brooke. Because if we're not, I won't be able to go on without you. That's how I know that I love you- I just can't live without you. I told you that if I ever got to be with you again, Brooke, that I'd never let you go. I'm keeping that promise."

Something changed within her eyes, and suddenly he knew that she was accepting him. A small sob escaped from her lips, and within seconds her mouth was placed upon his. He responded to her kiss so enthusiastically that he lifted her off the floor and up into his arms. They kissed for what seemed like an eternity- it was a moment of passion that made up for the love they had lost, and regained yet again.

As her tongue slipped between his parted lips, he couldn't help but to search for a name to call this moment, because he was sure that he would remember it forever. _Most of our life is a series of images, they pass us by like towns on the highway. But sometimes a moment stuns us as it happens, and we know that this instant is more than a fleeting image. We know that this moment, every part of it, will live on forever._

Finally, their lips parted, and as he pulled away from her he slipped his hand into his pocket, and pulled from it a perfect white sea-shell. It was the shell that she had carelessly thrown at his head hours before, and a slight hint of laughter shown in his eyes at the memory.

"Hold out your hand," he commanded.

Brooke did as he asked, and he slipped the shell into her awaiting hand. Her fingers closed upon the shell's rigid surface. Her entire face lit up with happiness, and as he looked into her eyes he knew exactly what to call this moment.

Life is full of suprises. Some are good, like when we find love after a terrible heartbreak, like when we board a plane and fly across the country to California to be with the girl we love. Our dreams are suddenly fulfilled, and the past doesn't seem to matter anymore because what we have in the present is so overwhelmingly spectacular. When faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back. But once in awhile, people push on to something better. _Something found just beyond the quiet persistance of a dream. _For it is only when we are tested that we truly discover who we are and who we can be. This discovery- when we conquer our deepest fears, regrets, and heartaches...it is _not_ called an unkindness of ravens. Unkindness and unfortunate situations in life are inevitable; good things to follow are always promised. And this happy time, when we surge on to something better, something profound and beautiful...

...it is called _A Benevolence of Ravens._

* * *

_Thank you for reading! Please remember to review- love the feedback. Also, great thanks to the reviews I've already received._


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